It was a hugely successful opening! By far...the best overall run, with each aspect of the show being executed with more confidence and determination than ever before. Lovely work all the way around. Cast and crew - you should all be VERY proud!
A few things to always keep in mind...
1. Crew, be aware of the space when you do scene changes. We had a marker dropped on the floor during THREE and it did not get picked up until after FOUR. Try to maintain awareness and take care of things like that should we have unexpected events occur regarding props, etc. Giuseppe saved the day last night!
We also had the blanket for SIX nearly placed too far DS.
2. Actors - it was the first time I've been able to assess the vocal levels with audience members in seats, which has quite the impact on acoustics. Overall, vocal technique was strong last evening, but always be vigilant about your projection and enunciation. And whenever you are on the floor or facing mostly to one side - you must be extra full voiced. A few moments that got nearly too quiet last night were:
-all of the first lines in ONE after Olivia's entrance
-all of Scotty's final lines in FOUR on the bench when looking at Nathan
-all of Geo's and Mari's lines post Nathan's monologue in SIX
-all of Will's lines in the wandering section of SEVEN
-all of Zach's and Nix's lines after the wandering scene in SEVEN
-all of Nix's, Perry's, and Dana's lines in the first section of EIGHT prior to Nix standing
-all of Justin's monologue about Davis and the drawing pad in TEN
To be clear, the above was not a "big problem" last evening - but in watching the audience, they had to lean in and listen really hard to hear those sections, and you could tell by observing them. So just be aware and give yourself a reminder.
3. With such a stellar opening, you have now set the standard for the show. More than one audience member told me they had never witnessed high schoolers execute a show to such a high standard - just blown away. And now...you must do this every time. No matter the size of the audience, no matter how you're feeling...to maintain the integrity of your fantastic and inspiring work, you must "get up for it" every single run!
Again - I'm so very impressed with you all...and so blessed to have had this chance to work with you - and to have such talent bringing my new play to life.
